


Braids

by politicalmamaduck



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alderaan, F/M, Implied/Referenced Character Death, spoilers for Leia: Princess of Alderaan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2017-09-29
Packaged: 2019-01-06 16:20:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12214413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/politicalmamaduck/pseuds/politicalmamaduck
Summary: After Han and Leia's first kiss, Leia reflects on her braids and the past.





	Braids

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Grey! Please read that wonderful novel. Set during The Empire Strikes Back, after Han and Leia kiss.

According to her chrono, it should be night on Hoth by now.

Leia finds one moment, one peaceful moment of solitude in the ship that now feels far too small, and begins to undo her braids. 

She still twinges every time she remembers her mother undoing  _ her _ braids, the long dark curtain covering her pulmonodes’ glow. Breha Organa’s hair had been even longer and darker than Leia’s.     


Leia jumps in surprise when Han Solo appears behind her in the mirror. It was not too often that she allowed herself the luxury of reverie, of remembering. 

Neither says anything, and Leia continues to undo her braids.

And then-- “May I?” he asks, and she freezes. 

Of a sudden, she is sixteen years old, and in a garden on Coruscant. 

Sixteen years old, and holding her dead lover’s body in her arms. 

Six years later, and she had only ever allowed one person that particular intimacy. 

Leia’s education had taught her that many cultures held symbolic value or importance in grooming rituals, in allowing only one’s partner to touch their hair, or lekku, or tentacles. 

She knew what had been expected of her as Princess of Alderaan, what she had given and obtained for that title, for her crown. 

She never expected it to haunt her the way it did. None of it mattered anymore, and yet it mattered so much to the Alderaanian diaspora to keep their culture, their traditions alive. 

“Are you alright, Princess?” he asks, and she realizes she hasn’t moved, hasn’t said a word the entire time he’s been standing there. 

She nods, slowly, looking into his eyes through the mirror. 

She turns back to him, and hands him her brush. 

“How much do you know about Alderaan?” she asks, taking his hands in her own. They’re no longer dirty. 

She’s still trembling, though.  

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thank you to mnemehoshiko/bittersnake for her support and commentary. Comments and constructive feedback are always appreciated! You can find me at politicalmamaduck.tumblr.com.


End file.
